The Adventures of Claire Hawkins
by Pischaw
Summary: A journey of a girl trying to survive in a world full of half naked blue giants, red headed psychopaths and a dork named Alibaba.
1. Hello

Chapter one: Hello

* * *

I was lost.

I Claire Hawkins, was utterly lost. I took a deep breath and tried not to panic. It's not like I wandered off that far from the city. I just took a short walk.

I began to pace. Glancing once again at my cellphone, I wished for the umpteenth time that I had service. That way I could use google maps and be on my way back to the hotel. But no, seeing that I'm in a foreign land, I'm roaming and using the internet would cost me. Dad would kill me if my phone bill got over 50 pounds again. Of course I could always tell him that it was an emergency. That's definitely the excuse I'd use if I had service, which I still don't have damn it.

Why did I have to follow that stupid bird?! Granted it was glowing and I was curious. It wasn't everyday that you see a glowing bird. I wanted to get a good look at it and followed it out of the city. Before I knew it, I was hopelessly lost.

Once again I took a deep breath and took off my sunglasses to rub my eyes. I will not cry. Absolutely not.

But as much as I wanted to, the waterworks decided to let loose. I just want to get back to the hotel, explore Jerusalem with a tour guide as planned and then go hiking with my family before we have to return to London.

I think I was crying for 20 minutes until I was calm enough to think rationally.

First thing first, is to get out of the sun and into the shade. I don't want to get sunburnt after all. Donning my sunglasses back on, I stood up from my crouched position -which I did not remember getting into- and looked around. I spotted a tree and some shrubs. I walked towards them.

Second: water. Do I have enough water? I checked my backpack, which -thank goodness- I brought with me. Usually I prefer to walk around with a purse, but seeing as my family and I were planning to hike after lunch, I brought a backpack with me. It's small, so I only put the essentials in there. Like a water bottle which is almost empty, an umbrella incase it rains, my wallet and passport, along with my earphones, useless cellphone and a hoodie. It gets rather chilly at night. Shoot I forgot sunscreen.

Great, I can already feel my skin peeling.

What do I need to check next? Food? Well I think I can survive a day without it if I ration my water well.

I think...

I stayed under the shade for about two hours, thinking about what will happen if I don't get out of this place where the sun shines so brightly and I'm all alone. Will I die from starvation? Dehydration? What if those birds decided that I look like gourmet food. What if the ants thought that I should become their new home when I sleep tonight?

My thoughts were getting darker and weirder when I heard voices coming closer. I felt like crying once again if it weren't for the fact that I was too happy and relieved. I ran towards the sound of laughter and spotted a girl with fiery red hair and a boy with long braided blue hair. How funky.

"Excuse me," I called out whilst stumbling out of the bushes. The two paused in their chat and looked at me. "Hi! I'm kind of lost and was wondering if you can point me to where Jerusalem is?"

The girl blinked and looked confusedly at the younger boy. Maybe I spoke too fast? I wish I knew a bit of their language, even just a little. It would make things a lot easier. "Well... Umm...Are you two going towards the city?" I asked slowly. I hope that they know a bit of English. There are a lot of tourists who visit the holy land after all.

"You don't belong here, miss."

That was the boy speaking. Oh he does know English! Perfect!

The girl looked surprised at the boy before her gaze turned to regard me apathetically once again. I pushed my sunglasses up on my head and looked into the boys eyes. They were a vivid blue. "Why yes, you see I'm a tourist and I got lost."

He blinked. "That's not what I meant. I mean that you don't belong in this world."

_Is this boy trying to pick me up? Call me an angel who fell from Heaven afterwards?_ "Right. So are you guys headed to the city?" I ignored the previous statement.

After an intense stare, the boy nodded excitedly. "Yes! We're headed towards Balbadd!"

_Balbadd?_ That sounds familiar for some reason. "Do you mind if I go with you?" I asked him with a smile. This Balbadd must be a big town or city if I remember it. Afterall my knowledge in geography is limited to the big cities. And if it's tingling my memories then I must have heard of it from somewhere. Cities meant internet café and that meant Google. If they don't have one, I'll ask someone who can speak English if there's a bus headed towards Jerusalem. After I arrive back there, I can ask again where the hotel is or go find the nearest Starbucks and from then on I will tell my adventure to my parents and younger brother and they'll all laugh and call me an idiot.

He looked at his companion and they said something to each other. I'm guessing he's asking if I can tag along with them. "Sure Miss! I'm Aladin and this is Morgiana." He gestured towards the girl Morgiana who bowed slightly in response. I didn't know they bowed here to introduce themselves. I always thought it was an asian thing. _Huh, the more you know._

"Thanks! I'm Claire." For some reason I feel like I should know these two from somewhere. I just can't wrap my mind around it.

"Miss Claire, where are you from? The rukh around you are behaving weirdly."

I smiled at Aladin. I have no idea what he meant by rukh but he's such an adorable boy. "I'm from England."

"England...?"

"Yes. I'm only on vacation here. I'll be back there in three days." We didn't speak after that. He just "hmmed" at me while tapping his chin thoughtfully. He and Morgiana however, continued to talk and I listened. I think they were talking about someone. Alibaba or something. That name really sounds familiar. Aladin's specially, but I blame Disney for that. After a while, I realised that the reason why I heard about Alibaba and Morgiana was because they were part of the story from the Arabian Nights.

I stopped. Alibaba, Aladin and Morgiana. Yellow, blue and red. A dungeon capturer, Magi and Fanalis. The memories were starting to return now. I only read up to volume three of the manga, but if I remember correctly, those were the names of the main characters. My friend who is an avid fan -and the person who lent me the three volumes to read for the plane ride- kept mentioning Balbadd when I was packing for the trip to Jerusalem. She was talking and talking and I didn't have the heart to tell her to shut up because she was so passionate about the story. She said she'll give me the other volumes once I return.

"Is something the matter?" asked Aladin.

"Umm... No, everything's fine," I told him. Monique is going to be incredibly jealous when I come back and tell her that I met some really awesome cosplayers, who may or may not be internet famous. After all those wigs look real -it must be high quality- or it's their real hair and they had an incredible dye job. If it was, I need to ask Aladin who their hair stylist is. I've always wanted to get my boring auburn hair dyed, I just didn't trust anyone with my hair. I wonder what colour would suit me? Pastel blue or pink would look cool.

Aladin and Morgiana were probably on their way to meet up with their Alibaba to complete the cosplay group. I glanced towards Morgianas' ankles and noticed that they were a bit scarred. _Wow, they didn't leave out any details at all_. They must have a very talented make-up artist.

Yep, definitely internet famous.

_I should ask for their pictures once they meet up with their Alibaba too._ I was very deep in my thoughts indeed if I hadn't noticed the man in front of me. I bumped into him and an apology automatically escaped my lips. I looked up to gaze at warm brown eyes. Blinking away my blush at the dazzling smile he sent me, my eyes wandered toward the arm that's holding me balanced. _Wow, he's really sculpte-_

OH MY FUCKING GOD THIS GUY'S NAKED.

* * *

I sat besides Morgiana, my head bowed down and staring intensely into the fire that Aladin created whilst the exhibitionist put on some of his clothes. He came out of the shrubbery and grinned at us, flicking some wayward purple hair out of his face._ Really? Purple?_

The clothes did not fit the man at all. It made him look like an overgrown baby instead. _One with the body of an Adonis..._

The realisation that I was thinking about the pervert almost made me jump up from my seat. _Bad Claire! Don't think about those damn abs._ Ugh, I can feel myself blushing once again.

I tuned out everyone while I tried my best to hide the flush on my face. Shifting in my seat, I poked the fire with a stick that was resting near me. They were talking about something and since I couldn't understand what they were saying, I grew bored rather quickly and spaced out. I didn't notice Morgiana stand up and sniff the air as a breeze passed our circle. It was a few seconds later that I realised she and Aladin had ran away from the camp we created, leaving me with the man.

I glanced at him and he sent me one of those smiles that any Hollywood celebrity would die for. I stood up abruptly and ran after the two. I don't want to be alone with that guy! I don't even know his name and after what happened, I haven't got the courage to ask him. He probably introduced himself, but I have no idea what he's saying until I can ask Aladin.

Seeing Aladin and Morgiana standing on the edge of a cliff, I slowed my run. I looked over Aladins head to marvel at the majestic city and the sea. It was truly a beautiful sight.

Taking a few steps back, I dropped my backpack and rummaged for my phone. After I found it I took two pictures, one with Aladin and Morgianas' backs facing me and the other showing the environment only. I hope they don't mind me taking their pictures, but they looked amazing with their cosplay costumes and the background I couldn't resist.

Satisfied with the quality and perspective of the photos, I tucked my phone back inside my backpack. I'll put them on instagram and facebook later once I get some wifi.

The man caught up with us and said something to me. I blinked and looked at Aladin. The little guy shrugged and translated. "He's asking about the device you used," He sounded unsure of what he was saying. "The square thing."

I blinked again. "Do you mean my phone?" Aladin muttered something. I glanced at the man. He was giving me a rather intense stare. Creep.

My attention went back to Aladin who tugged my arm shyly. "Phone?" he asked, as if unsure of what to say.

My eyebrows scrunched in confusion until I came to the realization.

I took out my cellphone once more and showed it to him. He was probably asking what brand my phone was. "It's a Samsung Galaxy." They all surrounded the device like they've never seen one before. Maybe they're more of an iPhone fan? I know some real fanatics who looked at me like I've grown a second head when I told them that I did not own an iPhone. I had two of them a year ago, but sadly they both broke due to my clumsiness. Dad said that if I wanted a cellphone, I'm getting one that doesn't break so easily, thus I got myself a Samsung.

After a second or two of staring, I put my phone back inside my backpack. It's not like they'd ask what it's for since it's obviously that: a phone.

"Are we going to go down or not?" I asked Aladin. I would have just walked away if I knew where to go -because to be honest- their stares are making me very uncomfortable. I waited for them to lead the way instead. There's only one way that I will end up in the city without getting lost, and that is if I jumped off the cliff.

I rather fancy myself alive though, so no jumping off cliffs for me.

* * *

It took us around half an hour to reach the city, and during that time I asked Aladin who the sex god was. I admit that I am rather attracted to him. He _is_ really hot and I blame my teenaged hormones rampaging inside my body. Of course I didn't mention the "sex god" part when I asked him. That would be very emberassing and I just met the boy.

As it turned out the man is called Sin. I wondered if that was his pornstar name, because let's be serious here, no parent in their right mind would name their child Sin.

Apparently, he's been robbed clean when he was napping after a tiring night. _Really now. A tiring night, huh._ Like I'll believe that. I highly doubt that he was in such a deep sleep that he did not feel anyone taking off his clothes. And no matter how many times he flashes me that charming smile of his, I'm not letting my eyes off of him. I don't trust this guy. He suddenly comes out of the bushes butt naked and approaches two defenseless children. No way in hell am I trusting him.

I decided to accompany Aladin and Morgiana to their hangout "Balbadd" and make sure that this weirdo of a man won't try anything to them. I fingered my pepperspray in my shorts' pocket. Being the daughter of a karate master helps too. Mum thought me self-defense since I was very young. She had been a victim of a very unfortunate event that I'd rather not think about when she was just a teenager. I know I'm not stronger than Sin -I've seen his muscles afterall- and there's a chance that I'll get hurt in the process, but the power of surprise and ten years of self-defense training is on my side.

I'll fucking kick him in the nuts if he glances at Morgiana and Aladin the wrong way.

* * *

Authors Note: Hello! This is my first fanfic since I was... 15. So no, this is not my very first one. Fire away with the reviews! I'd like to hear some critics! English is not my mother language, but I believe that working in an English company has made me better at it! If you see any grammar error, please notify me of it.

This fanfic is a practice in creating characters that are believable. Please tell me if Claire starts becoming too much of a Sue.

Thank you,

Love P

* * *

Edit 08.01.14: Changed some sentences and corrected grammar mistakes.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Magi


	2. Balbadd

Chapter 02: Balbadd

* * *

This place was very weird.

VERY weird.

It's like I landed in a world where the power of electricity has never been reaped before. I haven't seen a single vehicle on the road and I was walking around for almost an hour now. Everywhere I turned, I saw people using some poor animal to pull a cart with baskets, crates or sacks. There were no cars, busses or even a bike!

Honestly, I don't know if this is one of those places that prefer not to use any technology or if I landed in a convention of some-sort. _Maybe this is the equivalent of a renaissance faire?_ It would explain a lot, actually. Why else would everyone dress around as if they're from _that_ era; the one with the Ottoman Empire or something.

I think.

I was never any good with history.

But a faire was the only explanation. Granted, this was probably the largest one I've ever set foot on and where everyone is really into their roles and detailed costumes, it's absolutely amazing. Some even wore nothing but rags to roleplay as beggars! That's so very hardcore of them. But I worry that they're pulling the look off a little too well, a lot of them looked malnourished.

Also, I have never in my life, seen so many baggy pants before. It's like I've been thrown back into the eighties! Except it's less colourful. Most of the guys wear them in different shades of brown.

_50 shades of brown._ I let out a silent snort at the thought, earning several odd looks from the people around us. I shrugged their gazes off. I've gotten used to the stares of the people the moment I stepped foot in the city. I'm just glad that I'm not the only one garnering attention.

Aladin, Morgiana, Sin and I stuck out like a sore thumb. Me with my grey tank top, shorts, converse and backpack, while the reason the other three looked out of place was because of their very colourful hair. People didn't even so much as blink when they saw Sin in his half naked glory until they saw his incredibly long purple hair! Sure, some raised their eyebrows, but other than that, no reactions at all!

A man walked by with a basket on his shoulder and I tried not to barf at the stench coming from him. Most of the odor came from the basket, I don't know what's inside it and frankly that kind of smell should be illegal. _Something is definitely rotting inside that thing_. I watched the man dump fishes on the table of a vendor. Eww._  
_

I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked at the person who took me away from my observation. It was Morgiana. She said something to me in which I answered with a shrug. She repeated her words again, albeit a lot more slowly than before. The only thing that I understood was "Aladin". I'm not sure why she's asking me about the little boy. I haven't seen him since...

Oh. I get it.

It seems that we lost the tiny boy and only person who can understand me in the crowd.

Morgiana nodded her head -to signify that she understood the hopeless look in my eyes- and began to sniff the surrounding like a dog. Her face scrunched slightly in distaste at the odor of the place, but she continued smelling the air.

I couldn't help but smile. I have no idea why she was acting like a dog, it's not like the human sense of smell is on par with that of the animal, but I find the sight to be endearing and hilarious at the same time. I followed her as she dodged the crowd of people walking around the market place, and ignored those who were yelling out their products and prices to garner the attention of passerbys. While I bumped into a few people and made sure to stay away from anything fishy, I couldn't help but wonder where Sin went. Was he looking for Aladin too or did he ditch us?

It didn't take long to find the young boy. He made quite a spectacle, it seem. A vendor was yelling at him, waving chubby arms around and spewing spittle everywhere. Gross. I wonder why he was angry at Aladin. My eyes wandered to the crowd that gathered around the hysterical merchant and sheepish young boy. They were all watching with interest, some were whispering to each other while others grew bored and went to do what ever it was that they were supposed to be doing before they got distracted by the commotion.

I saw Sin at the other side of the crowd, trying to see what was happening. He saw me and caught my eye. I gave him a nod and let my gaze wander once again.

Out of the corner of my eyes, Morgiana tensed and a second later I heard a cry of pain. My attention instantly returned to Aladin and I felt my anger rise. How dare that fat guy manhandle a little boy like that! Aladin was clutching the vendors' arm who was holding his braid and swinging it around, tugging the little boy along. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but note that it was his real hair after all.

Morgiana walked towards the man and Aladin, her anger was obvious in her body language and deadly gaze. She took a hold of the man's arm and spoke to him, her voice calm. The guy tried to tug himself free, but Morgiana didn't relent until the he let go of Aladins' hair. That girl had a grip.

I moved to help the boy up who had fallen to the ground by the lack of gravity pulling him up. Gently I pushed away strands of hair from his eyes. "Are you alright?" I asked.

He nodded and shifted his turban to make himself look presentable, wincing slightly as the clothe brushed a sore spot.

"What happened?" I pressed on.

"I was hungry and ate some apples," he said with a bashful smile on his face. "and I didn't have any money to pay him."

My lips twitched in a grimacse and I pinched his cheeks out of instinct. "Thievery is not good, Aladin!"

"I was going to pay him, but he said that he doesn't take any coppers anymore. Only paper money," he mumbled through strained cheeks. Hastily, I let go of his face and apologized. How odd. I usually punish my little brother in this fashion when he did something incredibly stupid. I guess Aladin has this presence around him that screams "I'm an adorable kid and a perfect little brother" that my reflexes got a hold of me.

Patting his head gently -whilst minding to avoid the spot that made him wince- and earning a small grin in return, I glanced over to Morgiana who was staring down two bulky men standing on each side of the vendor. They seem like the bodyguards.

I better step in before she gets hurt. I looked at Aladin and asked, "How much were the apples?"

A thoughtful expression crossed his face and seconds later he began mumbling whilst counting his fingers. "One piece is usually thirty copper coins," He said. "And I had ten... I think."

What.

_Ten? _A little boy ate _ten_ apples in the span of mere minutes, when I wasn't looking. I'm sure I wasn't that deep in thought that I was spacing out for more than a minute or two. I glanced at his flat uncovered stomach. _Where does he put all that food?_

I sighed. "Can you ask the vendor how much he needs?" I rummaged through my backpack for my wallet and found it underneath my umbrella. Inside I found fifty israeli shekel and british pounds, along with some coins I didn't bother counting. I hope that this is enough.

"He said he needs 100 Huang."

I blinked at Aladin. I have never heard of huang before. The name also sounded suspiciously like chinese. I showed the man the israeli shekel, hoping that he'll take the money anyway. After all I am still in the same land, surely the currency wouldn't change because I'm in a different part of the city or something. Maybe Huang is the "currency" they use at the faire and one had to exchange real money at some booth to buy anything here?

I felt a gust of wind pass me and the money disappeared from my fingers. The vendor was examining it thoroughly, holding it to the sun, rubbing the paper between his fingers and practically gushing over it. What the hell. "He said he's never seen paper with such a colour and detailed illustrations before," Aladin translated upon seeing my confused look.

"Aha. He'll take it then?"

Aladin talked to the man some more and he received a bag of apples in return. The young boy gave me the fruits with a grin. "Did you just trade my money for a bunch of apples?" I could feel my eyes twitching. I'm positive that I would have gotten some change. At the boys' nod, I refrained myself from gritting my teeth and pinching his cheeks until they've turned red like a baboons arse. "Why?"

"Well, apples are really delicious!" was his enthusiastic answer. "And they're very expensive and hard to come by, so I think it was a really great deal!"

Fantastic.

My bus money got spent for some red fruits. Fruits that are almost rotting too. Honestly, it's like you can't buy apples at the closest super market. They're really going too far with trying to keep everything as realistic as possible in this faire, but at the same time I have to applaud them for their accuracy.

"Are you mad, miss?"

I glanced at Aladins' blue eyes and groaned inwardly. He looked like a kicked puppy. One that_ I_ kicked. "No."

The crowd of onlookers began to disperse once they realised that the problem has been solved. Sin finally decided to grace us with his half naked glory and pointed towards a large luxurious building in the distant. I narrowed my eyes at him and muttered to Aladin, "Why are you following this weirdo around?"

"I don't know."

Taking a deep breath and tucking my hands inside my shorts' pockets, I gave the little boy a smile. "Come again?"

Aladin shifted and rubbed his cheeks unconsiously, no doubt still feeling a sting on them from when I scolded him. "Ah... ummm. Look!"

My eyes wandered to the direction he was pointing at. It was at a random building with graffiti on it.

I stopped and stared.

Not at the building, which looked like it would fall over any minute now, I could care less about it. What caught my eyes was a corner where a mother and her children were begging. She was probably a beauty in her youth, but now, nothing was left on her but hollow eyes on the verge of cursing the world, sunken skin and bones. Her children had her same pale complexion, bony body and gaze. There was no way that these people were acting. Renaissance faire or not, no one would look at the world with such pitiful eyes or force children to starve.

My eyes met the gaze of the young girl besides her mother. I bit my lower lip. Dad always told me to never to make eye contact with beggars. Once you did, you can't help but show pity. The money that the kind people give them were often wasted on drugs and used for other illegal activities, is what my father told me as a child. My father who is a policeman, often came across such people. He tried to help whenever he can, it was his job afterall, but there were those who refused to be helped and let themselves sink deeper into their addiction.

The sack of apples that I could not put in my backpack felt heavy in my hand. Taking a deep breath, I walked towards the family and kneeled before the woman, whose eyes grew wary but hopeful at once. I smiled at her and offered the sack. "Here. You need them more than I do." I opened it to show the fruits. Her lips trembled and her tired gaze met mine, searching my eyes for a hint of trickery. She took an apple and gave it to her two children and another for herself. Tears were flowing down her eyes as she ate.

I stood up and walked towards the others who were waiting for me. Aladin and Morgiana gave me a smile whilst Sin gave a nod of acknowledgement and approval. Embarrassed, I walked pass them, trying hard to hide the smile on my face. Father said that its better to share food instead of tossing money. And I have to agree with him.

Helping those in need is a great feeling.

I stopped and looked back. I put my hands on my hips and glared at the other three to hurry up. After all, I have no idea where I was supposed to go.

* * *

We were standing in front of a luxurious building and I began to fidget. "Aladin, are you sure you should be following someone who you just met a few hours ago inside a random -albeit high class- building?"

Aladin blinked big dark blue eyes at me. "But you also just met us and yet you're still with us," The boy has point. Why exactly am I still following them around? Aside from making sure that he and Morgiana were safe from the shady purple haired man, I have no idea what to do. Was it because he was the only one I can talk to right now? "Besides, Sin said that this is the safest place in Balbadd and that he'll pay for our stay!"

I blinked.

Wait.

Balbadd is not a code name for their hang out but the name of the faire?

Okay... I can roll with that.

But I'm not comfortable being in the same building as Sin. He's too suspicious, however I guess I have no choice. After all, _someone_ decided it was a great idea to buy apples with my money. I would have probably been able to stay at a youth hostel for a night with the change, but I guess I should stop complaining and just suck it up. How bad can Sin get if he's willing to pay for our rooms anyway.

I raised my eyebrows and watched as the guards nearby stopped the half naked man from stepping another foot inside the building. I grabbed Aladin and Morgiana by their shoulders. "Let's find a youth hostel," I said dryly.

I was about to drag the two outside until someone said something in the commotion that made everyone silent. Sin was mentioned in the sentence and suddenly all the guards backed off from the purple haired man.

Sin greeted two other guys with a huge smile on his face. I gaped at the two guys who came out of the shadows. One had the freckled face of a young man with incredibly white hair and a robe on, while the other was a _giant _with red hair and apathetic eyes wearing armor that looked like it belonged to a gladiator.

Discreetly, my eyes wandered to Morgiana, who looked somewhat surprised at the appearance of the red headed man. I can't tell with her since I barely know her. Hell, I'm not even sure what her and Aladins' real names were! I just rolled with it when they introduced themselves as the characters from the manga called Magi.

I only met them a few hours ago after all.

Well, meeting new people is an adventure too... plus it's not like a cute little kid like Aladin could harm a fly and Morgiana seemed kind of shy and a bit socially awkward, which is really cute too.

It's Sin I have a problem with. I glared at the man and his companions and noticed something. _Instead of a faire, am I in an anime convention instead?_ I wondered while looking at the colourful mop of hair surrounding me. But that does not explain why everyone else was wearing costumes too, unless it's a joint convention?

Do such things even exist? I need to ask Monique once I return to London.

Sighing in defeat, I rubbed my temples. I'm starting to have a headache. I'll try and see if I can find a phone tomorrow and if I can get their wi-fi password. This is most likely a five star hotel, if the interior was anything to judge by, and most of the time hotels such as these have wi-fi.

Aladin grabbed my hands and began pulling me along. He let go once I nodded at him to show that I wasn't spacing out anymore. It seems that our paths split. Sin and his buddies went to terrorize other people while a young lady who showed us to our room.

The room was large and had three beds filled to the brim with decorative pillows, a lot of tapestries hanging on the wall with intricate patterns and a huge glassless window overlooking the whole city. She was about to close the door when I opened my mouth at the same time as Aladin. The lady looked confused and the young boy stifled a giggle. I hid a smile. Aladin glanced at me, telling me to ask my question first. What a little gentleman.

I turned to the lady "Do you speak english, miss?"

She gave me a blank stare. I groaned. When will I meet someone who can speak english again? I flopped on one of the beds, kicked off my shoes and shrugged my backpack while I burried my face on the numerous pillows the hotel provided and finally, I cacooned myself with the blanket. I could feel the others staring at me, but I didn't care. I was incredibly tired.

Tired of walking, of people staring and tired of not understanding a word of what was being said. I hate not knowing anything!

I closed my eyes. I'll search for a phone tomorrow.

* * *

Authors Note: Thank you very much for all the reviews on the previous chapter. It really motivated me to write faster!

Here we see that Claire has a habit of pinching the cheeks of naughty children! Poor Aladin!

Also, Jafar and Masrur are introduced.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Magi. Only Claire.

* * *

EDIT

14.01.14: Corrected Sinbad into "Sin". Thanks a lot to Kougari for pointing this out.

24.01.12: Corrected some grammar and spelling errors. Nothing huge.


	3. Ugo

Chapter 03: Ugo

* * *

"There's something wrong with that girl."

Ja'far glanced up from the wine he was pouring into a copper glass. "Which one?" He recalled that there were two girls who came with Sin in the hotel. A brunette with the oddest clothes he had ever seen, which was saying something since he had travelled far and wide in his youth, and a Fanalis with a beige coloured dress.

There was nothing weird with the two girls at first glance, but he knew that Sin couldn't have meant the Fanalis child. That only left the girl with clothes as revealing as those from the pleasure houses.

She seems normal enough. Brown hair that reached past her shoulders, pale skin that could rival his own and a face that was pleasant to look at. The girl seemed to come from a rich family or could be a noble herself. It was only a short glance, but as a former assassin he had the ability to take in even the smallest details from a person. One example would be her hands, it seems that they had never seen a day of labour before. Another would be the shiny and healthy hair that was a mess due to the journey it took to arrive at the hotel. Even if the clothes were very revealing, he must admit that it must have cost a fortune to hire a skilled seamstress that could create a double seam in perfect distance and symmetry from each other.

He handed the wine to Sin who took it gladly and began to drink like a fish out of water. "She doesn't speak our language."

Ja'far stilled his movements to glance incredulously at the purple haired man. "Surely you can't be serious." Never in his life had he heard anyone speak anything but the common tongue or the language of the dungeons. Sin wouldn't mistake Torran for another language. The man spent almost half of his life reading scriptures about the Torran Nation which were written in their own dead language.

"I am. While traveling with them, she only spoke to Aladin. It was not a dialect nor was it the language of the dungeons that they spoke with."

Ja'far could tell that the man's mind was running a mile a minute puzzling over who the brunnette was, where she came from and how she could be of use to him. Because contrary to popular belief, Sin was not an idiot, however often he acts like one. No, this man was cunning and even manipulative to some degree.

How else can one rule a country without dirtying their own hands.

"Perhaps she is from beyond the Dark Continent?" No one knew what was beyond the continent, not even the Fanalis. No ship dared to sail past the unknown waters, to face creatures that has never been seen before.

The taller man did not answer, but made a noise that indicated he was thinking. Ja'far glanced at the man's dark eyes and knew instantly what was going through his brain. He had the same shine in his eyes when he took him the other generals like Yamuraiha and Sharrkan.

"Sinbad, do you mean to take her back to Sindria?" Of course he'd bring her back even if he had to use force, that was a stupid question to ask. Someone who spoke a different language was something the man would like to keep for himself until he could satisfy his curiosity and make sure she was not a danger to their beloved home. Sin wouldn't want _them_ to get their hands on her and the best way to do that was to bring her to their island country.

"Yes", With that simple answer, the man stood up from his chair and headed for the door. Ja'far followed suit and nodded at Masrur who stood guard at the other side of the room. Ja'far had no doubt that the red head heard everything that was said on the other side of the wall. Incredible hearing was one of the perks of being a Fanalis. "And, one more thing. Don't forget that you shouldn't call me Sinbad alright? After all, they don't know who I really am."

* * *

I was not a happy camper. I woke up with the largest headache in history and a bedhead that a bird wouldn't even consider to be a nest. Bless Morgiana for her comb. Taming my hair was a long and painful battle, one that I would have won without out a problem if the hotel had a shower.

But at last there was none.

There was a small bathtub in a room connected to ours. It took me a while to give up my search to find anything that would let the water flow and fill the tub. I asked Aladin if he knew where the tap was. I received a long stare and he explained to me that if I wanted a bath, I would have to call in some maids to fill the tub with hot water.

The whole time he was talking, I kept wondering if this was really a five star hotel. The interior suggested it as such, but the equipments did not. The one I stayed with my parents at was a four star and it had a bathtub, shower and toilet with running water. It also had light bulbs and an actual glass on the windows.

After Aladin was done with his explanation, he offered to ask the workers to fill the tub for me, considering the fact that I couldn't speak the language and would have to play charade to get my point across. I refused of course. Not only was it unnecessary since I didn't _really_ need to wash right now, I also don't feel like wearing the same clothes after getting clean. I guess I'll buy a shirt in the market place when I see one. But only if I have enough money for the clothes and the ticket back to Jerusalem.

We went out of the room after washing our faces and doing our morning ritual. On our way down the hall, I glanced up at the sky. It was such a beautiful blue with barely a cloud in sight. And also it was almost noon. Aladin should wake up earlier to braid his hair whenever he has an appointment. I don't think anyone would have the patience to wait for him for almost an hour to finish his hairstyle. Aside from Morgiana that is.

Right now, Aladin, Morgiana and I were waiting for Sin in the lobby. He did say he'd take us out for lunch. However, he forgot the to tell us what time he was going to come and pick us up.

Aladin was chatting with the guards standing by the entrance who were ignoring him. How rude. Sometimes, he'd talk to a pretty lady for a few minutes before going back to the guards.

I was sitting on a plush sofa with Morgiana standing beside me, her back straight with her hands behind them and her legs spread apart. She looked like a tiny soldier ready to jump into action. I patted the place next to me for her to sit, but she refused and kept staring ahead. I couldn't help but think that she'll make a great Queen's Guard. Staying still in the same position whilst keeping a poker face takes a lot of nerves.

Oh, well.

More time passed and it seemed like Sin won't be coming anytime soon. With nothing else to do aside stare into space since Morgiana and I have this thing called a language barrier between us and with Aladin busy pestering the guards, talking to every pretty lady that walked by and chatting to random people that looked his direction, I only knew one thing to do during times such as this.

I grabbed my phone along with my earphones from my back pack. Time to listen to some music. I glanced at the battery while casually going through my playlist. My phone still has enough energy to last me a day or two if I used it wisely.

I crossed my legs and leaned back, blaring the music and ignoring my surroundings.

Or I tried to.

After one song, I noticed Morgiana staring at me. She seemed curious with what I'm listening to, but also emberassed that I caught her gaze. I gestured for her once again to sit beside me and for a moment, I thought she would start ignoring me again, but to my surprise she gingerly and shyly sat beside me. I grinned at her and handed the other earphone which she put inside her ear after a short stare at me.

Playing one of my favourite songs, I saw her bobbing her head slightly to the music causing me to smile. Of course everybody loves Beyoncé no matter what language. That's how awesome The Queen B is.

It was a companionable silence that followed, me tapping my feet to the beat and Morgiana humming to herself. We were only disturbed when Aladin returned with Sin and his friends to pick us up for the lunch the older man had promised.

Morgiana handed me the earphone with a smile. Awww, this was the first time I saw her smile. She looked so gloomy when I first met her and often stared at me without any expression on her face that I was beginning to think that she didn't like me. It seems like she was just shy after all.

We left the hotel and walked through the busy market place, following the guy who offered us free food. The faire was bustling with life and we were slow to approach our destination, where ever that place was.

I admit that it was mostly my fault for staring at every sparkly trinket that came across my field of vision. But I couldn't help it, I always had a weakness for jewelry, specially earrings. My ear piercings were a testament to that. Nine on the right and five on the left, most of them simple silver studs.

Someone once told me that all these earpiercings was _surely_ my sign of rebellion against my parents. I couldn't help but laugh at that. Was it really surprising to find out that I have fourteen piercings? I know some people in school who had more than twenty and most of them are all over their body.

I wouldn't dare rebel against my parents. My father who is a cop and mother who worked as a judge wouldn't let me off easily if I started a rebellious phase. I know that. I've seen what happened to my older brother. Honestly my parents could care less about my piercings. As long as it's not visible or a tatoo, I'm fine. My ears were covered by my hair most of the time, which gave my parents more reason not to care.

My hands also kept feeling the colourful fabrics that the vendors were selling. A lot of them felt like they were made of real silk and wool. But I can't be too sure since I'm not very interested in the art of fabrics.

I did not understand the way the things were priced at all and I recalled the confusion with the money yesterday. Remembering that particular event reminded me that I should get back to Jerusalem or call my parents as soon as possible. Tomorrow is my flight back to England and I don't want to be stranded in this place any longer. I wonder if my parents contacted the police by now?

They would probably have to talk to the embassy if I don't return quickly. I'm afraid of the scolding that I will surely receive if they had to resort to contacting the officials.

The sea breeze played with my hair and I followed the group inside a restaurant with a shield in the form of a fish. The place has a few people dining within, most of them wearing colourful costumes and some jewelry. A lady talked to Sin and it seems that they both knew each other well. Aladin told me that during our walk, Sin mentioned that this was his favourite restaurant and one of the places he frequented often when he came to visit Balbadd. The lady led us to a table on a large balcony overlooking the sea.

I sat in between Aladin and Sin's white haired friend Ja'far. The lady left before returning shortly with glasses full of water and a handful of menu cards which she gave to us after setting down the drinks. I barely glanced at it before putting it aside and looking at Aladin with confusion. I didn't understand what was written. Usually there's an english translation on the menu card, sometimes even french or russian, but this card didn't even have pictures to help tourists.

Aladin nodded in understanding at my stare and said something to Sin. He said that he, Morgiana and I didn't know what to order and if he could suggest us something instead. The man smiled brightly and waved a different woman over to say his order.

Aside from Morgiana and that really tall guy that looked like a long lost cousin of hers, everybody was talking to each other as we waited for the food to arrive. I can hear the girl humming a tune that sounded suspiciously like Beyoncé's song "Love on top".

The sky was cloudless and the sun high in the sky. I was beginning to feel the heat and I'm pretty sure that I would have been able to fill buckets with my sweat by now if it weren't for the wind that blew in our direction every once in a while. I was beginning to feel the pain that came with being sunburned. I glanced at my shoulders and would you look at that, they were slowly turning red.

I honestly regret not packing sunscreen with me. I absently began to rub my right shoulder. I need to get under the shade soon or I'll be in a world of pain tomorrow. As much as I love the view of the sea and the fresh breeze, I wished with all my might that the waitress gave us a table inside instead.

I was pushing stray hair away from my face when a small jar slid on the table only to stop in front of me. I looked at Ja'far in question.

"He said it'll help with the sunburn", was Aladin's translation.

I glanced at the white haired man and smiled in gratitude. "Thank you very much, sir."

"He said you can have it. He has more at the hotel."

It was incredibly kind of the man. I guess that he knows exactly what I'll be going to go through in the morning since he's paler than I am. I opened the lid and the smell of coconut filled my nose. I took some cream and rubbed it on my shoulders, neck, face and anything currently exposed to the sun. I left my legs for later since they're pretty safe under the table.

I put the jar inside my bag, just in time for lunch to arrive. Aladin and Morgiana were literally drooling. I on the other hand, tried to refrain a grimace that wanted to appear on my face. I never did like fish or any kind of sea food. As I watched everybody eat with gusto, I reminded myself to be grateful for the food. I wasn't the one paying and therefore I shouldn't complain. I ate a tiny bit of fish politely before ignoring it completely in favour of the steamed vegetables that came with the dish. The food was alright, but I find it to be rather bland for my taste.

The lunch didn't last long with the speed Aladin and, to my surprise, Morgiana was inhaling everything. They even ate most of my share. Not that I'm complaining but it was really a surprise. Soon enough, both were satisfied and running around the balcony and enjoying the view it provided. When that got boring for them or to be more exact, when it got boring for Aladin, he dragged the silent girl to pester the older red head called Masrur.

I stayed rooted in my seat the whole time and listened to what Sin and Ja'far was talking about. I didn't understand a single thing they were saying, of course, but what else was there to do? Well, I guess the view was nice. Maybe I should take a picture.

I shifted in my seat to pick up my back pack from the floor and get my phone. I moved just in time to dodge the spray of water that came from Ja'fars mouth. I frowned at the trail of liquid on the table. Had I not moved earlier I would be covered in spit. Shaking my head at my luck while wondering what has gotten to the man, I noticed Sin worriedly look at the the guy gasping for breath. He looked over his shoulder to where Ja'far was pointing and let out a startled sound.

Curious, I followed his gaze warily and stood abruptly, my chair falling to the ground at the speed of my movement.

_What's going on? _Why is there suddenly a blue half naked giant with it's head squeezed inside a flute standing near Aladin?

_Oh, sweet baby Jesus. Am I high?_ I'm pretty sure I wasn't drunk since it's still noon. The other reason for hallucinating blue giants was if I got myself stoned.

But how could that be? My eyes followed the sudden movement of Sin and I instantly suspected him of something. Did he put weed in my food? He did talk to a lady who knew him and worked here. It's a possibility. A possibility that was quickly striked through when I remembered that Ja'far was as surprised as I was. Sin wouldn't have a reason to make his friend baked right? Even if the drugs were only put in my food and his, why aren't Morgiana and Aladin acting as if the blue giant popping out of his flute was the most common thing to ever occur in their life. They did eat my dish too. It made no sense at all.

A scream broke me out of my thoughts and I looked around me. I noted that the other occupants in the restaurant were also gaping at the blue thing. Now I at least know that I'm not on drugs. There's absolutely no way the restaurant staff would try to make their costumers high.

Happy: yes.

Tripping balls: no.

That's how it works in business. Unless you're part of a criminal organisation or something.

I think Aladin was introducing the giant to Sin. He kept mentioning the word "Ugo".

In the back of my mind, I remembered the being to be a djinn called Ugo who was a character in the series called Magi. My eyes moved to the owner of the flute. Aladin was smiling at it and talking to it as if it was a real person. The thing in turn did some weird body movements to convey his answer.

Morgiana was calmly standing beside the blue haired boy whilst Masrur gazed at it with a poker face. Sin was running around it like a kid during christmas, poking the giant every once in a while. Ja'far was still seated in the same position, having calmed his coughing just a few seconds ago and was now looking at me curiously.

He was probably wondering why I was imitating a dead fish.

Sinbad spoke with Aladin after his examination. The young boy in return looked around and noticed all the people watching them. All were in a state of shock like I.

I watched as the blue giant returned to the flute. It looked like a balloon got popped and a vacuum was sucking it in. The musical instrument hovered for a fraction of a second in the air before falling down, being caught deftly by the sheepish boy whom it belonged to.

I felt my forehead with the palm of my hands. Did the heat get to me? Did the heat get to _everyone?_

There's no way that Ugo could be a real breathing being, right? Surely what I saw was nothing but a hologram. Even if a small voice in the back of my mind whispered explanations to me how Ugo was real, I kept answering with logical explanations of how he is not. _Really now, a hologram?_ _But you couldn't see through him. Surely if it was indeed a hologram, you would have been able to see through him. Technology hasn't evolved to the point where there are holograms that some one cannot see through. Plus where is the projector? It's too bright for it to be so vivid._

I bit my lip.

A puppet then. _With no strings?_ A remote controlled puppet. _Why would anyone build something as intricate as that?_ Because of a competition. _Really now?_

_Of course it was for a competition!_ Aladin and Morgiana were just very good and hardcore cosplayers! They probably had help in building the puppet or robot or whatever the it is. I tuned out the voice of reason that told me that the way it returned into the flute indicated that it hadn't had a skeleton to help it stand, which means there's no way it could be a robot or puppet. But what else could it be? A living, breathing and _real_ djinn?!

What silly thoughts.

* * *

It wasn't long that I found myself, Morgiana and Aladin dragged under a bridge by Sin and his companions. Well, to be completely honest it was Aladin that was being dragged around like a puppet. I only followed because I have no idea what to do and where the hotel was. I did not feel like getting lost and I really need my translator.

Aladin and Sin were talking again. It seems like most of the time they were the ones doing the talking. To be honest, I'm quite talkative too, but not being able to have a proper conversation with anyone besides Aladin makes it seem like I'm a silent person.

The little boy blew on the flute and suddenly I was standing besides the giant.

Wow, he's incredibly blue. I craned my neck to look at the flute acting as a head. The thing was crouching slightly to avoid touching the floor of the bridge. It's a lot more impressive up close, I can see the muscles in detail, some tiny hair poking out of the arms and tiny pores to imitate skin. I poked the thing, watching with fascination as it gradually began to turn red.

Bloody hell, this is one brilliantly programmed robot. How come it hasn't been on the news yet? I'm sure that a lot of company would pay a lot of money to get their hands on such a gem. "That's Ugo!" I glanced at Aladin proudly introducing his robot as if it was his best friend. How adorable, a little boy and his robot puppet thing. It feels like I'm in one of Moniques animes. Eva something. I don't remember, but apparently that was a really fucked up show, though. I never watched it, but Monique kept insisting that I should.

I nodded at him. "He's an amazing robot. Did someone help you build him?"

Aladin blinked at me in confusion. "Robot? I don't know what that is. But I didn't build him! I've known Ugo ever since I can remember."

Why did he not know what a robot was? Maybe he didn't know the english word? And what did he mean he's known the robot since he was born and yet judging by everyones reaction, no one else did? Was his parents or who ever built it _that_ secretive that not even the media found out about it?

"Uh, sure. What were you talking about with Sin?" I ignored the robot the purple haired man was now expecting.

"Oh, well he explained to me that I'm a Magi and that his name is not really Sin, but Sinbad."

I raised an eyebrow. "Of course you are", did no one tell the kid that he's cosplaying a character called Aladin from Magi? Even I know that and I only read the first three books. Does that mean that his real name is Aladin? "Sinbad as in that guy from the Arabian Nights?"

"The arabian what?"

"The story about him with the seven seas or something." The young boy scrunched his face and talked to Sinbad. The guy in return gave me a blinding smile and exclaimed something loudly. I narrowed my eyes. "What did you tell him Aladin?"

"I told him that you knew about his books. And he said that he's proud that his legends reached the lands beyond the dark continent", explained Aladin. I have no idea what he meant. As far as I know the Arabian Nights story was a very old one. I also have no clue what he meant by the dark continent. "And he also said that he's a King from a country called Sindria."

Now, I'm not very good with geography, but I know that there's no such country called Sindria. But then again, I don't know half the country of the world. Just the major ones. I still confuse Spain and Portugal with each other. Was Spain the neighbour of France or was it Portugal? I even used to think that Belarus was a joint country of Italy and Russia because the word "bela" was in it, which as everyone knows means beautiful. If it was spelled correctly that is. My teacher had such a laugh when I explained that to him.

The reason why I'm doubting Aladin was because I'm having a hard time believing that a country called Sindria really existed since a guy cosplaying Sinbad from some anime show insisted that he ruled said piece of land.

Aladin continued to talk with the man. Morgiana pitched in afterwards and before I knew it, Sin was gently pushing me and the other girl away. I gave him a glare. I don't know what the bloody hell is going on, but I do not like to be pushed around.

It seems that Morgiana and I share the same opinion. I saw her puff her cheeks in annoyance, looking like a squirrel with its mouth stuffed full of nuts, before digging her foot underground. And my goodness, when I said that she dug her foot, I meant it literally. The floor broke as if it was made of thin wood and not stone.

What the fuck.

* * *

AN: Hurray! The third chapter is finaly here!

I must apologize for the late update, but school and work caught up on me. I'm planning to update_ at least_ once a month. My update always depends on how much free time I have to write, since most of the time I'm working on some artworks.

Kudos to two friends of mine who reminded me that most teenagers nowadays at least tried to smoke some weed at some point.

What do we find out about Claire in this chapter: Her mother is a judge and her dad a cop. She has a shit ton of ear piercings and hasn't watched Evangelion, but knows of it because of her friend Monique. She is a fan of Beyoncé, has no sense of direction and is an utter idiot in geography that her teacher was surprised she hasn't gotten lost and found the lost city of Atlantis on accident yet.

Also, I always thought that Ja'far would easily get sunburnt since he's so freaking pale, which is why he's often covered from head to toe. He probably knows how to make home made sun cream.

Also Ja'fars POV at the beginning! Why him? Well, why not? He's awesome.

I hope you guys enjoyed this!


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